Hot and Sour Soup with Shitake Mushrooms

Awesome soup for winter. It is usually made with rice wine vinegar but I prefer using lime to give it a nice citrus taste

You will need:

250g fresh shitake mushrooms, roughly chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed (not necessary)
1 inch fresh ginger, finely grated (about 2 tsp)
1/4 tsp dried chilli (this is enough to give it a bite, just)
Juice of 1 small lime/ 2tbsp lime juice (or rice wine vinegar)
Red and yellow peppers, julienned
400g whole kernel corn
50 ml soy sauce/1 tbsp miso paste
1 tbsp vegan powdered ‘chicken’ stock (available from Fresh Earth)
1 tbsp cornstarch
6 cups water (plus a bit more to mix the cornstarch)
1tbsp sunflower or ½ tsp sesame oil
Seasoning to taste

Method:

Sauté the onions, garlic, ginger and dried chilli in oil.
Add mushrooms and peppers and cook for a few minutes.
Add corn, water, lime juice, miso paste/soy sauce and stock powder. Bring to boil.
Mix cornstarch to a smooth paste and add to soup while stirring. Allow to cook for a few more minutes.
Season to taste

Variations:

Add tofu.
Add more hot with chilli oil, hot pepper sauce or peri-peri sauce.
For a more Thai flavour add lime leaves, coriander leaves, basil leaves and lemon grass.